


Boundaries of Battle, a YouTuber Marvel Alternate Universe Story

by MadSalty017



Series: Boundaries of Battle [1]
Category: Game/Film Theory RPF, Jacksepticeye RPF, Markiplier RPF, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Pewdiepie RPF, phandom rpf
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, CrankGameplays - Freeform, DanAndPhilGAMES, Darkiplier - Freeform, Depression, F/F, F/M, Human Sides (Sanders Sides), Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Main Character Snap, Message me if you need an idea of any more, Multi, Some characters get snapped but come back, Starts just before the snap, Triggers, YouTube, antisepticeye, kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-19
Updated: 2021-04-19
Packaged: 2021-04-19 14:07:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 16,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21905278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadSalty017/pseuds/MadSalty017
Summary: Mark always knew he had powers, but he was told to hide them ever since he was young.Seàn had always dreamed of being a hero, but never thought it would take place like this.Thomas never thought his sides would become real.Matthew already thought he knew a ton.Ethan thought he just had a knack with electronics.Dan and Phil always thought they were just joking when they said they'd control the dark and the light.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Takes place slightly DURING and AFTER the events of Endgame, but BEFORE Phase 4Warning: contains depression, self-harm, anxiety, anxiety attacks, slight boyxboy, references towards abuse, main character "blipping", and other possible triggers or content you may not be comfortable with. you can message me in private for the specifics if you feel you need it and remember to stay safe.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Official Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7JaeDOchRhX1oYAL5U698K
Relationships: Dan Howell/Phil Lester, James "Bucky" Barnes/Thomas Sanders, Mark Fischbach/Amy Nelson, Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Sean McLoughlin/Evelien Smolders
Series: Boundaries of Battle [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1577884
Comments: 73
Kudos: 146





	1. The Basics

┍━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┑

Mark Fischbach  
_The Warrior_

┕━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┙

┍━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┑

Seàn McLoughlin  
_Neuro_

┕━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┙

┍━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┑

Daniel Howell  
_Hades_

┕━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┙

┍━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┑

Phil Lester  
_Apollo_

┕━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┙

┍━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┑

Ethan Nestor

_Diode_

┕━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┙

┍━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┑

Matthew Patrick  
_Omnius_

┕━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┙

┍━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┑

Thomas Sanders  
_Imperius_

┕━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┙

┍━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┑

Stephen Strange  
_Doctor Strange_

┕━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┙

┍━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┑

Bruce Banner  
_The Hulk_

┕━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┙

┍━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┑

Bucky Barnes  
_The Winter Soldier_

┕━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┙

┍━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┑

Sam Wilson  
_The Falcon/Captain America_

┕━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┙

┍━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┑

Wanda Maximoff  
_Scarlet Witch_

┕━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┙

┍━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┑

Shuri, Princess of Wakanda

┕━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┙

¸¸♬·¯·♩¸¸♪·¯·♫¸¸¸♬·¯·♩¸¸♪·¯·♫¸¸

**Playlist**

_Finish Line- Skillet_   
_Nomad- Jeremy Renner_   
_The Phoenix- Fall Out Boy_   
_Killer in the Mirror- Set It Off  
_ _Busted Heart (Hold Onto Me)- for KING & COUNTRY  
_ __ **See more on the official Boundaries of Battle playlist, link in bio**

♫♪.ılılıll|̲̅̅●̲̅̅|̲̅̅=̲̅̅|̲̅̅●̲̅̅|llılılı.♫♪

**warning; **this book will mention depression, suicidal thoughts, anxiety/panic attacks, extreme violence, major character deaths/blips, and other things that have happened to characters. I will put a warning at the beginning of a chapter. At the beginning of the part where it may become triggering, I will put some sort of divider, whether it be an emoji or a bit of bold text. At the end of a chapter with a triggering part, I will put a short summary of what was said/done in the part in a non-triggering manner. I will not tolerate hateful/offensive comments, they will be deleted.

**disclaimer; **I own none of these people because if I did it would be weird. I do own the plot. I have never been outside of the United States, so descriptions of countries may be skewed/stereotypical, and I apologize in advance. There will be usage of words I may not understand (mostly pertaining to science) so I apologize if I get them wrong.


	2. Index and Encyclopedia

**This will be updated as chapters come out, so be on the lookout for new terms and chapter names!**

╓═══════☆═══════╖

_INDEX_

╙═══════☆═══════╜

_i_\- _The Basics_  
_ii- Index and Encyclopedia_

1- The Day Of  
2- The Decimation  
3- Phone Calls  
4- The First Year  
5- The Second Year  
6- The Third Year  
7- The Fourth Year  
8- ???  
9- ???  
10- ???  
11- ???  
12- ???  
13- ???  
14- ???  
15- ???  
16- ???  
17- ???  
18- ???  
19- ???  
20- ???  
21- ???  
22- ???  
23- ???  
24- ???  
25- ???  
26- ???  
27- ???  
28- ???  
29- ???  
30- ???

╓═══════☆═══════╖

_ENCYCLOPEDIA_

╙═══════☆═══════╜

_**People  
**_**Bruce Banner- **Main Character, 49. The Hulk and Avenger. Played by _Mark Ruffalo  
_**Bucky Barnes- **Main Character, 98. The Winter Soldier and Avenger. Played by _Sebastian Stan__**  
**_**Daniel Howell- **Main Character, 27. On YouTube as DanIsNotOnFire, danisnotinteresting and Daniel Howell since 2009. Played by _Himself  
_**Ethan Nestor- **Main Character, 21. On YouTube as CrankGameplays and Unus Annus since 2012. Played by _Himself_  
**Mark Fishbach- **Main Character, 29. On YouTube as Markiplier and Unus Annus since 2012. Played by _Himself  
_**Matthew Patrick- **Main Character, 31. On YouTube as Game/Film Theory since 2011. Played by _Himself__  
_**Phil Lester- **Main Character, 31. On YouTube as AmazingPhil since 2006. Played by _Himself__  
_**Seàn McLoughlin- **Main Character, 28. On YouTube as Jacksepticeye since 2012. Played by _Himself  
_**Shuri- **Main Character, 18. Princess of Wakanda and Avenger. Played by _Letitia Wright__  
_**Stephen Strange- **Main Character, ?. Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme and Avenger. Played by _Benedict Cumberbatch_  
**Thomas Sanders- **Main Character, 29. On YouTube as Thomas Sanders and Thomas Sanders and Friends since 2009. Played by _Himself_  
**Wanda Maximoff- **Main Character, 27. Scarlet Witch and Avenger. Played by _Elizabeth Olsen_

**_Other_**  
**Blipped- **The act of getting "snapped/dusted" by Thanos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As someone who has anxiety, I know the feeling of finding a book but it being a little too... dramatic? I think that's the word. Anyway, if you feel like you can no longer read this book, feel free to message me, and I'll give you as much (or as little) spoilers as you want!


	3. The Day Of

"I'll see you tomorrow, alright honey? I love you." Mark patiently waited for Amy to say that she loved him too before hanging up on the blonde, a smile stretching his face wide. Amy was out of town on a trip with her friends and had been for a week. Mark missed her so much, and couldn't wait for her to come back (although he hadn't minded sharing a bed with the dogs).

He walked downstairs, Henry following close behind. The two of them had grown really close since he was usually all over Amy but didn't have anyone but Mark for the week. He planned to spend the day at a private gym, just punching his heart out. He felt like _something _was going to happen, and it was making his powers go all wonky.

Of course, Mark knew he had superpowers. He was always really strong, his mom said he got it from his father. Neither of them was very emotionally strong, however. When Mark's father died... it ruined him. It only led to more and more heartache, only escalated by the fact his emotions weren't in check.

No one knew. He liked the thrill of keeping a secret. While the Avengers fought to save lives around the world, he fought to save lives from his little house, with his girlfriend and pet dogs. It was really cool to meet the Avengers occasionally, he'd even made a video with Tony Stark once. He knew some other people who had made awareness videos on the other heroes.

Maybe he was worried because Tony had gone missing a couple of days ago. News outlets kept saying that the Avengers were struggling, and so many people in New York had been injured or killed. Mark desperately wanted to go up to New York to help, but he knew it wouldn't be safe.

He quickly got himself some food and got food for Henry and Chica as well. After eating, Mark finally went to the gym to relieve some of the energy he had.

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

Dan and Phil had just finished eating lunch and were talking about the videos they were excited to record. Of course, they had the Interactive Introverts tour coming up, and Dan wanted to make sure that everything they needed was prepared- from Internet Support Group to DanAndPhilGAMES content. They'd done most of the United Kingdom shows already, but they'd be leaving for the international part on the 23rd.

Dan's stomach felt like a pit, even though he knew that he was okay. However, he gripped onto Phil's hand as they entered the recording room anyway.

"You alright, Dan?" Phil questioned, looking back at the paler man.

"I'm really anxious right now," Dan mumbled, wrapping his arms around Phil's waist.

Phil's arms went around Dan's shoulders, holding him close. "Did you take your tablets for the day?"

Dan nodded, he'd made sure of it when he felt the unsettling feeling in his chest this morning.

"Maybe you're just nervous about tonight's show?" Phil offered.

"We did the exact same thing last night with no hiccups. I don't think it's that," Dan mumbled, looking up at Phil.

Phil nodded, "We can just sit and watch Attack on Titan, or you can go into your browsing position if you'd like."

Dan nodded, he was always grateful for Phil. They both walked back out of the recording room, mutually agreeing to put off recording until Dan could handle it. Phil's arms remained around Dan, warming the younger man and making sure that he was comfortable. The duo ended up watching some anime Dan didn't pay attention to the name of, he didn't think he wanted to know the name either.

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

Matthew woke up grinning. He just couldn't wait for little Oliver to arrive in his life, and couldn't wait for Stephanie to stop being in so much pain. He didn't _mind _her being pregnant, what he minded was her pain. She'd done nothing but put on a brave face, but he knew the aches and pains she had. Stephanie was always tired.

It was around 8:30 AM, so Matthew figured he'd get up and make Stephanie breakfast. Her favorite lately had been bacon and lots of it. So, after detangling himself from the brunette, he went downstairs and started cooking.

He hummed as he worked, Skip circling around his feet and nearly tripping him a few times. He thought of theories he had to do, and the game they were making that would launch next year. It cost a _ton_, but Matthew was so excited to get it out that he didn't care.

After about half an hour, Matthew could hear Stephanie start coming down the stairs. Matt grinned, setting down his and Stephanie's plates just as she got into the kitchen.

"Morning sunshine," Matt said, kissing his wife.

"You made all this?" Stephanie asked, sitting down.

"Yup," Matt pulled a couple of coffee cups out of the cabinet, preparing them for himself and his wife. After a minute, he set down her cup as she was digging into the pancakes.

"Thank you babe," Stephanie smiled, kissing him.

"Of course," he poured syrup over his bacon and pancakes, "Besides, I really wanted bacon."

The couple laughed, talking quietly about the day's events.

"We've got your doctor's appointment later right?" Matthew asked.

Stephanie nodded, "We'll get to see Ollie again."

Matthew couldn't help but grin at the mention of his son's name. He was so excited, yet so nervous, to be a dad. But, all things considered, he felt like he would do okay.

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

Thomas wasn't sure _what _was wrong when he woke up. He had stumbled out of his room, nearly fallen down the stairs, stubbed his toe on the couch (Thomas was fairly certain that he had broken the dang thing) and when cooking his breakfast of leftover pizza he'd burned his finger.

The man collapsed on the couch, near tears already. Thomas wasn't going to be able to do much if this was how it was going to be. He made sure to take his meds before he left his bedroom, so he wasn't sure why he was so freaked out.

Thomas reached over and turned his phone off, making sure to put it somewhere he wouldn't be tempted to turn it on and make his anxiety worse. Of course, he texted Joan and Talyn to let them know since they were working on editing the next video. He thought about his characters that he was going to introduce as the familiar sound of the Parks and Recreation theme played from the television.

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

The skies of Wakanda were sunny, not a cloud in sight. Of course, their land looked completely different as their forces fought off Thanos' forces.

It was growing into the late afternoon there, and Steve was exhausted. They'd been fighting for a while, and he knew that either they were going to win, or someone was going to kill him.

Thanos had arrived, and it looked like the purple giant would be the one to kill the nearly 90-year-old-man. Steve had been knocked to the ground, and Thor had started advancing on Thanos. Thor had his ax pushing into Thanos' chest, grinning.

Steve pushed himself up, just about ready to help as Thanos mumbled something.

"You should have gone for the head."  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As someone who has anxiety, I know the feeling of finding a book but it being a little too... dramatic? I think that's the word. Anyway, if you feel like you can no longer read this book, feel free to message me, and I'll give you as much (or as little) spoilers as you want!


	4. The Decimation

**This is a chapter full of people getting snapped. If you do not wish to read, go to the bottom and I will give you the full list of people who have been dusted.**

Mark arrived at the gym, smiling and ready to punch something when his phone rang. He was confused, but once he saw it was Bob he picked up.

"Are you okay?!" 

"Jesus, Bob, yeah I'm okay. What's wrong?" Mark asked, pulling his gym bag out of the trunk.

"People _everywhere _are turning into dust! Mandy and I are okay but the news said a ton of people are turning to dust, but it looks like it's not just people!" He sounded like he had been crying.

"Oh shit, Amy," Mark realized, "I'll call you back in a minute!"

The YouTuber's hands trembled as he dialed his girlfriend's phone number. It rang. And rang. And rang.

"Hi! This is Amy, sorry I didn't pick up-" Within seconds Mark had redialed her. Same thing. He ran inside the gym, surprising the lady at the front desk.

"Turn on the news, right now," Mark demanded, trying to call Amy again.

"Oh my god!" The woman screamed. Mark turned to face her, his stomach dropping. Before his eyes, she began to fade away to dust, then got blown away by one of the fans. Mark couldn't breathe. Amy's voicemail played again.

Mark reached over and turned on the news as other patrons began to filter out. Mark watched as another one, a mother with her baby, turned to dust and left the baby. Instantly the baby began to cry. A woman next to her screamed.

"We're getting reports from _everywhere _that people are turning into dust. Does anyone know what happened?" The news castor was desperate and even cried at one point. Mark looked at the crowd around him, realizing just how bad things had just gotten.

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

Matthew and Stephanie turned on the news, as they normally would. They thought nothing of it until there was a scream on camera.

Matt was in the kitchen and ran into the living room to watch as the male news anchor began to turn to dust. It fell onto the desk and onto the other anchor as she continued to scream. Matt covered his mouth, trying not to puke.

"Matt...?" He heard behind him. Matthew turned quickly, watching in horror as Stephanie began to do the same thing.

"Oh no, no no no no no. Please don't go, baby, please!" Matt rushed over and cradled his wife, peppering kisses on her. What was happening? What would happen to Ollie?!

That question was answered quickly as the last of Stephanie faded away, revealing- much to Matthew's horror- a newborn, premature baby.

"Oh fuck," Matthew said, reaching for his phone. He dialed 911, picking the small thing up. Ollie was _screaming_, and Matthew was crying.

"911 what's your emergency?"

"My wife just turned to dust but she was pregnant and now I'm holding a baby," Matthew didn't know how else to word it.

"We have another one!" The operator said distantly.

"Another one?" Matthew whispered.

"An ambulance is on the way, is the baby bleeding?" The operator asked.

Matthew looked all over Ollie, "No, I don't think so. He's... I think he's covered in something." He should be _smarter _than this.

"See if you can wipe it off him with a gentle wipe," The operator calmly said.

Matthew went and got one of the baby towels he and Stephanie had bought a while ago, along with a blanket to wrap him in later. He wiped it over Ollie, instantly cleaning him up.

"I got it off," Matt mumbled.

"Alright, is he breathing?" The operator asked.

"He's screaming so I would assume so," Matt said, trying to cheer himself up. It didn't work.

"Good, does he have an umbilical cord?"

It had been cut off after about half a foot. Matt mentioned that, and within a few minutes, Ollie had been properly taken care of the rest of the way. Matt was topless now, walking around with Ollie on his chest. Matthew couldn't go into the living room and certainly didn't plan on doing so anytime soon.

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

"I'm going to go get us some tea, okay?" Phil asked, kissing the side of Dan's head when he nodded. The two readjusted, leaving Dan laying on the couch with a blanket and Phil in the kitchen.

Their feed cut to static for a moment, and suddenly a news anchor appeared, frantic.

"This is an Emergency broadcast, do not turn off your television. Citizens all over the world are turning to dust, leaving cars, planes, helicopters and other motor vehicles unattended. We would strongly suggest turning off any stoves or burning out any candles. This is some of the footage that we have pulled in." Clips of peoples' bodies just... ashing played on screen, accompanied by screams of terror. One clip got Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D in America, turning to dust as well as a helicopter hitting a skyscraper.

"Phil?!" Dan's heart was beating insanely fast, and he knew he was having a panic attack as his vision began to grow dark.

_CRASH!_

Dan shot up, stumbling into the kitchen. He could barely hold himself up, and his chest began to ache.

The kitchen was empty, save two broken mugs and a pile of dust.

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

Thomas' mind launched back into reality as there was a banging on his door. He stood and walked over slowly, opening it to see his neighbor looking frantic.

He could immediately feel his anxiety rocket, "What's wrong?"

"Haven't you seen the news? Half the world is just gone!" She said.

Thomas' stomach dropped, "Oh my god." He ran back inside, leaving his neighbor on his doorstep. He frantically turned his phone back on, tears clouding his vision. He finally got it on, and immediately he got a notification that he had a voicemail. It was from Joan.

"Thomas, hey man, I don't know what's going on right now, but Talyn and I... we're turning into _dust?_ Talyn... Talyn's already gone... I'm sorry Thomas..." The voicemail was silent for another thirty seconds before automatically ending.

Thomas let out a sob, falling to his knees. He felt arms wrap around him, his neighbor had come in. Normally he wouldn't have liked it, but he felt like he needed it. 

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

"TOP OF THE MORNIN' TO YA LADDIES, MY NAME IS Jacksepticeye, and welcome to Sweets and Burns-"

Seàn was recording a video with Robin, it was A Way Out Part 4. Seàn was honestly so excited to keep playing, and as he continued to talk to Robin through the making of the hour-long video Seàn could tell Robin was excited too.

Seàn's phone was buzzing like crazy, but he didn't notice it. He was too absorbed in the game, excitedly trying to beat it (finally). He and Robin were giggling, trying to make the man they found kiss via their shared screens.

Seàn finally flipped his phone over, seeing an emergency alert, "Uh... Robin?" Seàn looked into the camera since he could see Robin on his screen (which meant Robin could see him too).

"You seeing this?" Robin whispered.

An Emergency Alert had been broadcasted for the whole world: people were turning to dust.

Seàn looked back down to his phone but noticed something about his feet. "_OH FUCK!"_

Robin's eyes shot up, "Oh my god Jack please don't tell me it's happening to you too!"

Seàn felt a tightness in his chest, and as the dusting got higher a numbing feeling replaced what it had taken. He nodded, having trouble breathing as a tear slipped from his cheek.

"Jack what do I do?!" Robin asked, flipping out.

Seàn looked up, the dusting reaching his chest, "Tell _him_, tell him I- I-" and with that, Seàn William McLoughlin had been dusted.

**Full list of dusted people:**   
**Phil Lester**   
**Seàn McLoughlin**   
**Joan S**   
**Talyn**   
**Amy Nelson**   
**Stephanie Patrick**   
**Chica**   
**Thomas' family**   
**Wade Barnes**   
**Tyler Scheid**

**List of Survivors:**   
**Mark Fischbach**   
**Henry**   
**Matthew Patrick**   
**Ollie Patrick**   
**Daniel Howell**   
**Felix Kjellberg**   
**Marzia Kjellberg**   
**Thomas Sanders**   
**Camden**   
**Quinn**   
**Adri**   
**Bob Muyskens**   
**Ethan Nestor**   
**Robin**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As someone who has anxiety, I know the feeling of finding a book but it being a little too... dramatic? I think that's the word. Anyway, if you feel like you can no longer read this book, feel free to message me, and I'll give you as much (or as little) spoilers as you want!


	5. Phone Calls

Mark got home an hour later and collapsed, sobbing. 

He'd been as strong as he could the whole time he was at the gym until the emergency responders showed up. Mark was half tempted to take the baby who had no parents at the moment, so he gave his number to the paramedics and told them to call him if they couldn't find the other parent. 

It took Mark another half an hour to get up and call Matthew. He knew he probably wasn't around, but he figured he would check.

"Hey, Mark," a rough voice that only sounded vaguely like Matt's answered.

"Hey man, you doing alright over there?" Mark asked.

He heard a sigh, "Stephanie... Stephanie didn't make it. But Ollie did."

Mark's eyebrows flew up, "Is Ollie okay?"

"A couple months early, but other than that he's okay. He'll have to stay here in the NICU for a week or so just to make sure he's okay."

"What hospital are you at?" Mark asked, shifting so his back was on the front of the couch. He felt a dog come sniff him, and he looked to see Henry. He hadn't seen Chica... he had to assume she'd been dusted too.

Matthew listed off some random hospital, and Mark looked up the address. "That's just down the street from my place. Do you want to stay here while Ollie is in the hospital?"

Matthew was silent for a second, "Can I take you up on that offer in a week? I don't think I could step foot into the house for a while... Not without thinking of Stephanie."

Mark nodded, even though Matt couldn't see it, "Yeah, totally okay. We have a guest bed here, and enough room that if you want to bring a crib for Ollie you can do that as well."

"Thank you, Mark. Gotta go, the doctor just walked in," and with that Matthew hung up.

Mark sighed, laying his head back onto the couch. He didn't know how he was going to continue without the two girls of the household. 

He lifted his phone, calling his mom.

"Oh, Mark! I'm so glad you called, is everything okay?" His mom was quick, and also sounded like she had been sobbing.

"Yeah, yeah I'm okay Mom... But..." He felt a lump in his throat and grit his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut.

"What happened?" It was barely more than a whisper, and with that Mark let out a sob, covering his mouth.

"Amy... I can't reach Amy. She hasn't called or texted since it happened," Mark sobbed, feeling the true weight of the situation hitting him like a battering ram.

"Oh Mark, I am so, so sorry. Should I come to your house? And then we'll fly to Korea together to visit family once they let us?" His mom asked. 

Mark hiccuped, "No- No mom. You don't have to come here. My friend Matthew is going to come to stay for a while, his wife dusted and now he's got a kid to take care of. I offered to help."

His mom let out an approving sound Mark couldn't really describe, "_Neol jeongmal salanghae_." _I love you so much._

"_Nado dangsin-eul salanghabnida_," _I love you too._

"Stay safe for me, and call me tonight, okay?" His mom asked.

"Yes ma'am," Mark said, rubbing his hands over his eyes.

His phone began to ring immediately after hanging up with his mom. It was Bob.

"Hey, is it okay if Mandy and I come over? We just wanna make sure you're doing okay. We have food and board games," Bob rushed out.

"Yeah, but I'm a mess right now just so you know," Mark mumbled.

There was a knock on his door and he stood to get it, telling Bob he had to go. He opened it to see Ethan, absolutely covered in blood and dust.

Without a word the two hugged, the smaller man crying openly.

"What happened?" Mark whispered, pulling Ethan in.

"I was driving when it happened. My car got totaled, I flipped a few times. I was stuck there until half an hour ago. EMT's cleaned me up and gave me a ride here," Ethan realized he hadn't asked first and started breathing quicker, "Oh my god I'm so sorry if I'm intruding-"

"Hey man," Mark held Ethan by his shoulders and looked him in the eyes, "You're okay. Do you need to take a shower?"

Ethan shrugged, "I don't think I can... They gave me some stitches and asked me to go home, but I didn't want to."

"They didn't ask for any identification?" Mark questioned, moving Ethan to the kitchen.

Ethan shook his head, "No. They're trying to help as many people as they can, we're in a crisis is what they've been saying."

"Jeez," Mark mumbled, "Want new clothes?"

Ethan nodded quickly, and Mark went into his room to grab Ethan clothes. He didn't want to look at Amy's side of the bed, so he moved quickly, coming back out a moment later.

Within half an hour Ethan was on the couch, sleeping in new clothes. Mark helped him clean himself up, and as soon as they finished Ethan had fallen asleep. Mark couldn't help but feel horrible, as Ethan had a ton of cuts on his face and torso. He was fairly certain he had broken his ankle since it was wrapped. Mark didn't bother cleaning that up since he didn't want to mess it up.

Mark's doorbell rang, and after making sure Ethan hadn't waken up he went to the door. Bob and Mandy stood on his doorstep, holding a dish and a game he was fairly certain was Cards Against Humanity.

"Come on in. Ethan is asleep on the couch," Mark welcomed them, taking the dish from them. Smelled like bacon.

"Is he okay?" Mandy asked.

"His car got wrecked because of what happened. Flipped a few times, got stuck until an hour ago."

"Jesus," Bob whispered.

"I've got Matthew and his kid coming to stay in a week," Mark continued, leading the couple into the kitchen.

"Stephanie didn't make it?" Mandy asked sadly.

"No," Mark sighed, setting the meal down, "Do you guys want to eat now?"

"I'm okay if you are. Maybe we should wait until Ethan wakes up in order to do anything?" Bob suggested.

Mark nodded, and the trio went and sat at the dining room table. Mark was fairly certain that Ethan wouldn't hear them, but Mark could still see him and keep an eye on him. 

The group ended up talking for another half an hour, just trying to get used to what's going on. At some point, they turned on the news, moving into the living room to watch it. The group was silent as the anchors continued to discuss damages. A cop on the way to another emergency (a collapsing building) had managed to get a dashcam of Ethan's accident. It angered Mark a little, seeing as the cop hadn't stopped to help his friend. But there were more people in danger ahead, so Mark figured that there was nothing the cop could have done. 

As they watched, Ethan groaned on the couch. Mark looked over, holding his hand out for the younger one to grip. 

It was going to take a while to recover, wasn't it?  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As someone who has anxiety, I know the feeling of finding a book but it being a little too... dramatic? I think that's the word. Anyway, if you feel like you can no longer read this book, feel free to message me, and I'll give you as much (or as little) spoilers as you want!


	6. The First Year

The first year was eventful, to say the least. 

Matthew had moved in with Mark. Of course, he was keeping up rent in the old house, because he planned on moving back into it once it didn't take two men who knew barely anything about babies to take care of Ollie.

He'd arrived a week after the Decimation as the Avengers had called it. Tony Stark was still missing, and Matthew often watched the news while feeding Ollie. Everything had been shut down temporarily until people knew they could be running again. America had to swear in a new president, as both the former president and vice president had been dusted. China's leader had been dusted as well, and according to some of the news networks it was making its way out of its dictatorship. 

Both Matthew and Mark had tweeted out the day of the accident that they were okay, and told the world of their casualties. A lot of the fans that were left continuously asked about Ollie, but Matt didn't want to talk about it.

In a way, he almost began to resent Ollie. Whenever he saw Ollie, it just reminded him of Stephanie. He didn't _want _to feel like this, Ollie was his son after all. Matthew just missed Stephanie. 

Exactly nine days later everything reopened, and everything started to feel just a little normal again.

Around a week and a half after the event, most YouTubers were releasing videos talking about what they were going to do. A lot said they were going to take time off to mourn. Fewer, like Mark and Matt, said they were going to continue, despite what they had lost.

The hardest videos to watch were from those who had been dusted. Some close to whoever owned the particular channel had recorded a video explaining they were gone. Matt had found Mark curled up in his bed sobbing shortly a particular video; Robin had called him. Mark refused to tell him what Robin had said, but told him that Robin had a video of Seàn getting dusted. 

Two weeks after the Decimation the Avengers had released their statement, and twenty-two days after the Decimation Tony had been found. The world had let out a collective sigh of relief.

Nothing much happened for a few months. Matt got drunk one time and really regretted it the next day when Ollie woke him up screaming. Mark was there for him though and took care of Ollie all day so Matt could rest. Mark even recorded a video with Ollie and Henry, getting them to hang out and play together. It became his most viewed video on the channel, and Matt was amused to find that he and Mark now had a ship name. 

However, four months in, Mark told him something that blew him away.

Ollie had been put to bed and would be up in a little while. Matthew was about to head to bed when he heard something from the kitchen.

"Matt?" It was Mark, and he sounded upset. Matthew came down, searching for the man before finding him at the dining room table with a scrapbook open. Matthew hadn't seen this book anywhere in the house before, granted he hadn't _searched _but it was still a weird thing to see.

"You okay?" Matt asked, sitting next to Mark. He looked at the book and saw it held pictures of a young Mark with a man who looked to be his father, "You thinking about your dad?"

Mark nodded, looking back up at Matt, "Can I tell you something?"

Matt grew a little confused, "Of course man."

Mark's eyes met Matt's and he sighed heavily, "I've been keeping a secret. My mom is literally the only one that knows this. I'm tired of hiding it though." Matt's eyebrow raised, and Mark sighed once more, "I've actually got a superpower of my own."

Now both of Matt's eyebrows were raised, "Like, Thor and Spider-Man?"

Mark nodded, "I've got superstrength. I got it from my dad. Apparently it's been passed down since, like, the beginning of time."

Matthew nodded, trying to comprehend in his exhausted state what he had just been told. "Do you mind if I ask some questions? I don't wanna seem rude."

"Of course man, I kinda expected you to have some, being the theorizer and all," Mark joked, making Matthew smile for the first time in a while.

"Do you know your limit on weight?" Matt asked.

Mark shrugged, "I've had to rent a whole gym once and still didn't have enough weights, I think it was a combined 7,000 pounds."

Matt whistled, "Do you have a weakness?" After getting an eyebrow raise from Mark he quickly said, "I'm not gonna _tell _anyone!"

"I'm emotionally weaker than other people. If I were to go out and fight crime, and the villain got someone I cared about, I'd be down, probably turn into the Hulk," Mark mumbled. Matt remembered how Mark had gone to the gym as soon as he and Ollie had gotten settled in, and came back sweating. 

The two men went to bed later, both exhausted. Matt could hear the deep sighs of Ollie as he fell asleep.

Matt and Ollie finally moved back into their own home a month later. Ollie was now much easier to take care of, seeing as he could do things like sit up (with support), grab onto things, and rollover. Mark made Matt promise to check in at least once a week, and with that Matthew took Ollie home.

He and Mark visited each other often, just so that Matt could get used to being in the house without Stephanie. It had been a while, and as soon as they stepped in he knew he needed to clean. So, he took off his top, attached the baby backpack, and turned on the music. As soon as a good tune started, he grabbed the broom and began cleaning up the house.

By five, the house was spotless, and Ollie's play area had been set up in the living room. Matt debated ordering pizza and eventually came to the conclusion that he deserved it since he'd cleaned the entire house by himself. Skip circled around his legs as Matt sat down at the computer. 

After the pizza was ordered, Matt put on his shirt again and sat down by Ollie, turning on the television and just played with his son.

The rest of the year was just calm. The holidays were a little hard without Stephanie, but he and Mark got together to celebrate it. Matt made sure to send gifts to those he knew were still alive, like Ro. She'd visit every once in a while with her boyfriend, and when she did Matt always felt like he had his own little family. He loved it. Matt and Mark often went to the gym together, since Mark was excited to have an accountability partner that he could _truly _work out with.

One of his friends, he couldn't remember who, asked if Matt would try and go dating again.

"Hell no," Matt said, "I'm not gonna do that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As someone who has anxiety, I know the feeling of finding a book but it being a little too... dramatic? I think that's the word. Anyway, if you feel like you can no longer read this book, feel free to message me, and I'll give you as much (or as little) spoilers as you want!


	7. The Second Year

Thomas was determined to make Joan and Talyn proud with his videos. Granted, they uploaded way slower, but his other friends like Camden and Leo were there to help him, along with Quil. 

He couldn't tell you how many times he broke down those first few months. He opened up a merch store, which is something Joan and Talyn wanted to do but Thomas was hesitant on. He was certain of this though, it would honor their memories. That was bringing in enough money in order to support himself and a couple of the others, which he was thankful for. Although he seriously considered it, he never moved back in with his parents.

The day of the anniversary of the Decimation rolled around, and the world was silent. They were putting up a monument of all those who had been lost to it today and Thomas said he would go if he could but he was bogged down in work and felt that he just couldn't bring himself to go.

He set up to record, going into the bathroom and getting dressed in his Roman costume. Talyn was usually in here to help-.

_Stop thinking about them._

Thomas sighed, running a hand over his face. Camden knocked on the door and asked if he was okay.

"I'm okay," Thomas said, repeating the phrase in a lower tone until he truely felt okay enough to record. Thomas sure didn't feel like it though.

Everyone's birthdays were the hardest. All Thomas had left were Camden, Leo, Quil, and Adri. All of his family had been snapped, all of his friends. Thomas had never felt so alone.

He ended up needing to get a second job just to pay for the Sanders Sides stuff. He didn't want his friends trying to provide for something _he _made. Plus, Thomas liked to pay his friends because a lot of the time they were stuck at the office until the early morning hours editing the videos. 

When he wasn't filming or editing for Sanders Sides he was working at the library, or if he wasn't doing either of those he was writing for the videos or contacting people who could help.

The year 2019 through the beginning of 2020 was Thomas' biggest year when it came to Sanders Sides. He introduced _three _new sides with videos coming out every other month. He loved his fans reacted to the Sides, and occasionally found himself reading fanfiction while at the library (his boss didn't care if he read on the computer, what mattered to the boss was that Thomas was even reading). Of course, there were some... interesting ones, but his favorites were the ones that had a new story in each chapter. He knew they were called something like One-Shots, and each day at work when he wasn't working on Sanders Sides he was reading those books. The funniest ones to read were what the fans called "Crack fics" because they were so short and often modeled after Vines.

Speaking of Vine, the original creator was still around in the winter of 2019 and, since he wanted to bring _some _happiness to the world he relaunched the app, making it free.

Thomas got right back into Story Times, and as he kept making these vines he found himself getting happier and happier. Of course, he still missed everyone like crazy, but he got more friends.

In January of 2020 Mark Fischbach, also known as Markiplier, reached out to the nearly thirty-year-old and asked if he wanted to do a collab of sorts, combining Mark's egos and Thomas' sides.

Thomas agreed pretty quickly, and as soon as Mark told him what dates he would be in Florida Thomas got the time off work at the library. Mark would be sleeping at his apartment with him, and would probably hang out for another week afterward so he could go to Disney World (as one does when visiting Florida with a ton of money).

By mid-February, Thomas was scrambling around the apartment getting it ready to go. His sugar glider Lucy was sitting on his shoulder, eating a small bite of food. Thomas was humming something, and when he heard Lucy screaming he gently grabbed her and let her jump to the couch just as a knock rang out on the door.

Thomas opened the door, seeing the man staring down at the ground.

"Hey Mark," Thomas said, smiling. Mark was about to reply but Lucy screamed from inside. Mark laughed, and Thomas helped grab Mark's bags and bring them in.

As soon as Thomas stepped into the living room Lucy jumped onto his shoulder, making Mark gasp behind him. "Oh my gosh, she is so _cute!_"

Thomas laughed, rubbing Lucy's head, "Thank you. I got her about a year ago. Do you wanna get settled in and I'll order us pizzas?"

Mark nodded, "That sounds good." And with that Thomas led Mark to his temporary room, getting his pizza order and then going back downstairs to both start ordering and write the script for the episode.  
  


A month later that video would become the channel's most viewed video. Thomas also blew up shortly after, boosting his channel to a height where he could actually pay his friends to work for him. He felt safe.

That year at VidCon, he and Mark had a panel together. It was a little weird, considering one did Comedy and the other did Gaming. But it didn't matter because the two of them liked it.

As the two were walking out of the convention building, however, they found themselves cornered in an alley by three guys.

Thomas' heart pounded in his chest as he cowered behind Mark. He had _told _Mark not to walk home, to just take a cab.

"Guys, please just leave us alone," Mark said, reaching his arm behind him slightly. Thomas thought about grabbing it, but the thought of getting stabbed in the stomach made him wrap his arms around his torso tighter. Thomas could feel his legs quaking.

"Oh, it's not you we want," one of the men growled, pointing the knife to Thomas, "We want the pretty boy here. You may be handsome, but he's going to enjoy it."

_Flattering and disgusting all at the same time._

"You'll have to fight me for him," Mark replied.

Thomas' stomach dropped as one of the men launched forward. Mark quickly twisted his arm around and kicked him, sending him towards one of the guys and knocking them over. A bone snapped as Mark punched the other one through the wall. Thomas screamed a little, backing away as the second man got up from under the first and began to run at Mark with another knife. Mark ducked under the knife and tackled the man, throwing him onto the ground.

With the men sufficiently knocked the crap out, Thomas let out a sigh of relief, running forward to hug Mark and repeating the words "Thank you" and "oh my god" like a mantra.

Mark chuckled, pulling away, "Let's get back to the hotel."

Thomas nodded, following behind Mark as they continued to walk. Thomas couldn't help but think back to how Mark sent the one guy _through _the wall like there was nothing there in the first place. It scared him.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As someone who has anxiety, I know the feeling of finding a book but it being a little too... dramatic? I think that's the word. Anyway, if you feel like you can no longer read this book, feel free to message me, and I'll give you as much (or as little) spoilers as you want!


	8. The Third Year

Dan wasn't sure he was going to make it a month without Phil by his side. Yet, here he was, living.

Tyler had "adopted" him after the Blip, making sure that his friend didn't end up hurting himself. The duo lived in harmony, making sure that they continued living. Of course, people knew something was off with the two of them. That something was _missing._

How could Dan tell them? "He's gone. Oh, by the way, he was my boyfriend too." No! That would freak so many people out!

So here he was, three years later, looking at dogs to adopt because Tyler had convinced him to get one. That it would help him move on from _him. _Dan noticed a dog that looked almost like Lassie but had black hair instead of the golden blonde. He clicked on the picture, seeing that it was named Freddie. There was a video attached, and as he watched he felt a little happier.

He smiled, watching as Freddie played with the dogs in the shelter with her. They brought in another dog while recording, and it was terrified. Freddie heard it's crying, and to Dan's surprise, she went over and started licking the pup, circling around it and leading it to the other dogs. Freddie was helping the dog calm down.

Dan continued to watch the video, deciding after a few minutes that he wanted to go meet Freddie. So, he grabbed his wallet and keys, getting ready to drive over.

After driving for a few minutes, Dan sighed and picked up his phone. He punched in a number he'd memorized five years prior and listened to it ring... And ring... And ring.

"_Hello! Sorry I missed your call. I'll get back to you soon, but if I don't feel free to give me a ring again! Make sure to leave the best of messages after the beep!_"

"I miss you so much, Phil..." Dan's heart felt like it was crushed into a million pieces as he listened to the voicemail he had been paying to maintain. Phil's phone always rested on his nightstand these days. He hadn't charged it in a while though, so he was surprised that it even rang through.

Dan pulled up in front of the shelter, hanging up on the voicemail. He looked in the mirror to make sure that he hadn't cried, and with that Dan walked in.

The shelter was loud with the barks of the dogs. There was a ton of people, and signs everywhere that said "Clear the Shelter Day! All dogs over 3 years old are £20!"

Dan slowly made his way to the front desk, feeling his heart rate increase. _This was a bad idea._

"How can I help you today?" The man said, smiling at Dan.

"I was looking at your website, and I saw this dog named Freddie. I was hoping I could adopt her," Dan explained, thankful his voice wasn't shaking.

"Of course! Would you like to meet her first? Just to make sure," The man offered, standing.

Dan nodded, and the man brought him back to the kennels. Of course, the dogs were freaking out, but he heard one bark that sounded familiar. It was from Freddie.

The man brought him to a separate area that was just empty and asked Dan to wait a moment while he went and grabbed Freddie.

Dan's mind slowly floated back to Phil's voice as he sat down. How much he missed Phil. Missed holding him, and drinking tea with him. He missed watching Anime and decorating the apartment with him. He missed his boyfriend.

He was startled out of his thoughts by licking on his face. He blinked a couple of times, coming back to reality as he reached forward and dug his hands into the fur of Freddie. Upon seeing Dan recover from his thoughts, Freddie barked happily. She circled around him as he stood, and jumped happily as he went to grab a rope from the little basket provided. Freddie followed it in a circle as Dan held it above her, then chased after it as soon as he threw it.

For the first time in a while, Dan found himself _laughing. _All thoughts left his mind other than playing with Freddie, who was yipping happily as he played with her.

After about thirty minutes, he looked at the helper who had come back with Freddie, "I'd like to adopt Freddie."

"Alright, let me get a lead on her and we can head up to the front to do paperwork," The girl said, smiling. She came forward with the pink rope, clipping it onto Freddie's collar. The worker let Dan hold the lead, then led him up to the front as people kept coming to the back area to look at dogs. 

Dan spent about half an hour filling out papers, watching as Freddie interacted with everyone she could get her nose to sniff. Once he finished, he led Freddie to his car, making sure she was secure before getting in himself. 

The drive to the pet shop was relaxing, with Freddie leaning out the window as Dan played music from the old radio that was in the car. Freddie was panting as Dan drove, barking happily at other dogs and at people who were driving by.

Dan sighed, looking at his phone. He hadn't told Tyler yet, but he had started paying rent on the old apartment again. Dan fully planned on moving back in there, since Tyler had gotten married and was about to have a kid. Dan didn't want to be in the way, and luckily for him, his old landlord was understanding about the situation, having lost his wife himself. As soon as Dan had asked, the landlord had given him his keys back. The landlord had even waived the deposit fee since he had paid it all those years ago.

Once the duo arrived at the pet shop, Dan snapped out of his thoughts. He got out and then let Freddie out, letting her lead him into the shop and pick out whatever she wanted. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As someone who has anxiety, I know the feeling of finding a book but it being a little too... dramatic? I think that's the word. Anyway, if you feel like you can no longer read this book, feel free to message me, and I'll give you as much (or as little) spoilers as you want!


	9. The Fourth Year

Mark found himself constantly exhausted these days. All he wanted was to sleep. To just go lay in bed but instead, he pushed himself. He pushed himself to do more videos, to help more people. There wasn't a day where he didn't have anything planned. He would prep for the week, but then each day after that it was something new. Maybe it was a charity stream, maybe it was a Make-A-Wish visit. But he rarely rested.

In the few years it had been since the snap, Ethan had moved in with Mark. They had told everyone else it was to cut back on bills, but both men knew that they were still vulnerable. Still in pain.

Mark had launched Cloak, making it very obvious he was doing it in Seán's name. It was Seán's idea in the first place, after all. But that had been about two years ago. They had almost been ready to launch when the Blip happened. But then the economy nearly crashed. It just hadn't been the best time.

Since the Blip, Mark had told a few select people about his powers. Thomas found out through necessity though, and he frequently found himself wanting to apologize for that day but never did.

By June of the fourth year, Ethan had had enough of it. Enough of Mark's unrest.

Ethan barely managed to make sure that Mark didn't have anything planned for a day. Just one day is what Mark promised to Ethan. Ethan made sure that Mark was allowed to do whatever he wanted. 

Mark awoke that day, oddly worried. Had he gotten used to going and going? 

It reminded him of that day four years ago. Mark sat up in bed, feeling an odd occurrence of déjà vu. He ran his hand over his face, just to see if it would get rid of the déjà vu feeling. It didn't get rid of the feeling, but it did help it. 

Mark stood, watching as Henry followed him into the kitchen. He scooped up some food, pouring it into the dog's bowl. Henry's tail wagged happily, moving his entire butt. Mark chuckled, rubbing Henry's head. The next priority was food for himself and Ethan. He pulled out some bacon and eggs from the fridge and a skillet from his cabinet. He began with the bacon, planning on using the fat that it released to grease the pan for the eggs. It was a trick his mother taught him when he was younger. 

It took a few minutes, but soon Ethan was standing next to the counter, rubbing his eyes. Hair stuck up in random places, and bags were forming under his eyes.

"Morning, stupid," Mark greeted.

"Morning dumb ass," Ethan replied quickly.

Mark smiled a little, pulling the bacon out and placing it between a couple of paper towels. He cracked a couple of eggs into a bowl, adding a splash of milk.

"You want an omelet?" Mark asked, looking at Ethan.

Ethan lifted his head off the counter, "Sure."

Mark slowly added the eggs to the pan, allowing them to cook before flipping them. Ethan sleepily clapped, giggling as Mark laughed at him. Within a few minutes, both men were seated at the counter and eating their breakfast.

"You look tired," Mark pointed out as Ethan missed his mouth by a few inches.

"I am. I was up until a couple of hours ago," Ethan mumbled.

"Go back to bed, man. It's a rest day," Mark chided.

"After noms," Ethan mumbled, basically inhaling his food before walking to bed.

Mark laughed, picking up his and Ethan's plates and throwing them into the dishes. After a while he moved into the living room, pulling out his laptop. It was silent for a few hours as Mark worked on his channel. He told Ethan he would rest, but Ethan wasn't in the living room now.

"Mark, I've got a channel idea!"

"What is your channel idea?" Mark asked, looking up from his laptop.

"Basically, we do a bunch of stupid shit for a year and then delete the entire channel." Ethan explained, "In order to show the inevitability of death."

"Whoa, Ethan is using big people words now," Mark teased.

"Oh fuck off man. Does it sound like a good idea?" Ethan collapsed next to Mark on the couch, feet landing over the arm and head landing near Mark's lap.

"Oh yeah. But I gotta ask, why?" Mark took off his glasses, setting them gently on the coffee table.

"Had an existential crisis last night. And I want to be spooky, ya know?" Ethan said, looking up at Mark.

Mark nodded, "What will we call the channel though?"

Ethan paused. "I have no idea."

And so the idea of Unus Annus was born. They found the name a while later and launched the channel in November of 2021. They would spend Saturdays recording for the week (excluding the few videos like their Salsa video, which needed to be recorded on specific days). Mark ended up breaking his finger at one point- stupid presidential test- but it was better within a few weeks. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As someone who has anxiety, I know the feeling of finding a book but it being a little too... dramatic? I think that's the word. Anyway, if you feel like you can no longer read this book, feel free to message me, and I'll give you as much (or as little) spoilers as you want!


	10. The Fifth Year

🚨 **Descriptions of a panic attack. The siren emoji will pop up again when it is over. 🚨**

Ethan didn't want to worry Mark too much, but Mark was beginning to catch on to Ethan's feelings.

No, before you get excited, Ethan didn't have a crush on Mark. They were friends, that was all.

What Mark was beginning to catch onto was the depression that Ethan was getting. Depression, Anxiety... Maybe a few other things. Ethan didn't entirely know. 

Ethan didn't realize how bad things had gotten until he and Mark were watching some new movie that summer. 

The accident in the movie had taken the two completely by surprise, and Ethan couldn't stop the tightening he felt in his chest as screams rang out on screen. He couldn't breathe suddenly, and his hand flew to his chest as if hitting it would make him breathe again.

Mark noticed something was wrong as soon as Ethan's hand moved. He noticed the tears in Ethan's eyes, the gaping mouth. Mark stood, all but dragging Ethan out of the theater. Screw how much they paid for these tickets, Ethan needed help. 

Ethan was stumbling, unable to speak. He could feel tears falling down his cheeks, and felt horrible. How dare he cry this much in public! _Why _is he crying this much in public?

Mark dragged him into the family bathroom, putting their stuff down and making Ethan sit on the floor. All Ethan could see now was his own accident from years ago. The way his car flipped, and how his car was stuck... Ethan covered his face, sobbing loudly.

"Ethan, can you look at me?" Mark asked.

Ethan shook his head. He registered that he was trembling and that it was freezing in here.

"Ethan, I'm not going to laugh at you, I'm just trying to help," Mark said, wrapping his hands around Ethan's wrists. 

The smaller man sobbed again, removing his hands from his face.

"There you are. Look at how I breathe, I want you to copy me, okay?" Mark said. Ethan nodded, furiously wiping away his tears. Mark inhaled slowly, and Ethan began to copy him. But Ethan's lungs couldn't expand wide enough, and Ethan sobbed again.

"Hey, it's okay Ethan. Try again," Mark said. Ethan began to inhale and followed Mark as he exhaled. They continued this for a few minutes, just breathing. It took about half an hour, but eventually, Ethan was calm enough to stand up and wash his face in the sink with cool water. He felt hot and exhausted like he had just done the King's Fitness Test again. 🚨

"Do you want to go ahead and head home? I'll see what the ending to the movie was and we can talk about it after you get some rest," Mark offered.

Ethan flipped his watch up, checking the time, "Can we order pizza?"

"Yeah, man. Come on," Mark grabbed their things, wrapping his arm around Ethan as they walked out of the theater. They hadn't noticed it, but a small line had formed outside that bathroom. 

Ethan collapsed in the car, falling asleep curled under Mark's heavy jacket that he had left in there. He woke up later in his bed, the curtains closed and his lights off. Ethan flipped his blankets back to see that his shoes were missing as well. 

His door opened slowly to reveal Mark standing in the doorway, "Hey man, I was just about to come to wake you up. Pizza is here if you wanna come downstairs."

"What kind did you get me?" Ethan asked, sitting up slowly.

"Hawaiian," Mark answered, making a fake gagging noise and laughing a little. Ethan laughed, grabbing his sweatshirt and following Mark downstairs. He slid the thick item on, watching as Mark placed a couple of slices of pizza on his plate. Ethan took the one with pineapples, plopping over to the couch. 

"Ethan, I'm not trying to offend you with this, but maybe you should see a therapist," Mark mumbled, sitting next to him on the couch.

Ethan swallowed, "Yeah..."

"Do you want me to help you set one up?" Mark asked, looking at Ethan.

He nodded, "Please."

Mark pulled his laptop over, "Alright." 

The two men spent the next few hours looking for nearby therapists as Star Wars: The Last Jedi played in the background. The finally found one who also happened to be a YouTuber, Kati Morton. She was in Santa Monica, so it wasn't that far of a drive. Ethan set up his first appointment, scheduled for in a couple of months. He just needed to wait that long. 

October rolled around, and Ethan felt like he was barely making it through life. He'd had more panic attacks since then and found himself in bed gorging on ice cream more often than he'd like to admit. Unus Annus was about to finish, and he felt like he was beginning to lose himself. 

And it was terrifying. 

Mark and Ethan had just finished filming their last Unus Annus video for the month when the notification went off that they had an appointment. Since Ethan hadn't been to a therapist for a while, he wanted Mark there with him, just in case. They ran back to the house, grabbed the necessary paperwork, and then they were on their way. 

And so it went on like that for a few months. Every Thursday Ethan went in to see Kati, and eventually, he stopped bringing Mark with him. This was a huge step for his recovery since he hadn't driven since the day of the Blip. However, he was on his way to one of his latest doctor's appointments when the world was sent into chaos once more.

**Guys, don't worry. The Marvel stuff is going to kick in again next chapter**


	11. Unblipped?

_"And I... am Iron Man."_

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The beach was to his left as he drove. Ethan's hand was resting out the window as he drove to the store. They had just opened, and Ethan had stuff to do before his appointment.

The sun was still rising, shining its early morning rays over the water as Ethan pulled into the parking lot. He turned off the car, taking a deep breath before getting out. He walked into the store, making quick work of his shopping before walking back up to the front.

They had a TV playing in the background as Ethan checked out. There was footage from New York playing, a huge ship had just arrived over the Avengers compound.

"Another one?" Ethan mumbled, unable to remove his eyes off the screen.

"And in New York no less," The cashier grinned, swiping Ethan's Lunchable across the scanner.

The door dinged open, and out of habit Ethan's eyes flitted over to the door, then back in front of him. Wait. Was that-

"Ethan?!" Amy asked, walking over.

"Amy, what the hell-?" Ethan asked. Amy stopped in front of him, hesitated, and then squeezed him.

"How are you here?!" Ethan questioned, looking over her.

"I don't know! I was in the air, and I turned to dust, and then I appeared on the street outside with a few other people!" Amy said, frantic.

Ethan's eyes went wide, "Mark." He whipped his phone out and was about to dial Mark when his phone rang. The contact happened to be Mark.

"Mark-"

"_Ethan, Chica is back!_" Mark said happily. He was making noises on the other end of the phone, playing with the dog he had lost.

"So is Amy," Ethan said.

Something shattered on the other end, "_Amy?! Wait, if she's back then Stephany has to be back. Bring Amy home, I'm gonna go check on Stephany and call Matt._"

"Do you want to talk to her first?" Ethan asked.

"_YES!_" Mark said. Ethan flinched, handing Amy his phone. Ethan grabbed his bags, thanking the cashier before walking out. Matt had just moved out to the East Coast, leaving the house he and Ollie had been living in.

Ethan stepped outside, seeing a few people milling around. They all looked so confused.

_Oh boy. _

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Dan had just finished cooking when he turned the TV to the latest show he had been binging. He was lucky that an older episode happened to be running, although it was a bit odd to be playing at 2 o'clock.

He bit into the sandwich, watching as Freddie ran around the apartment with her toy. Dan smiled a little, watching as Freddie tossed it in the air and caught it. She ran by the kitchen, but stopped in the doorway, dropping the toy and tilting her head to the side.

"What do you see Freddie?" Dan asked, curious. Freddie barked, tail wagging at _whatever _was in the kitchen.

Dan stood, placing his plate on the table next to the couch. He walked into the front area, looking at Freddie. "What do you see, girl?" Dan pat Freddie's head, looking into the kitchen to see _him._

_Phil._

Dan stood, mouth open. Phil turned to him, and his mouth broke into a smile.

"Phil?" Dan whispered, walking forward.

Phil stepped forward, meeting Dan in the middle. As soon as their hands touched, and Dan could feel that Phil was _real, _Dan crashed into his arms. 

"Whoa! What happened?" Phil asked. Dan didn't answer, and instead kissed him. Phil laughed a little in the kiss, pulling away, "Dan, what happened?"

Dan pulled Phil into the living room, telling him about everything he had missed.

_Phil was home._

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Thomas was recording the next episode of Sanders Sides when there was a frantic knocking on his door. Cam offered to go and grab it so whoever it was wouldn't have to see Thomas dressed as Remus.

Thomas kept running through his lines as Remus, laughing at Quil as she made some random comment.

"Guys!" Cam called from the door. Thomas dropped his script, running towards his friend. The neighbor stood in the doorway, looking upset. Thomas felt Quil and Adri's presence behind him as Cam motioned at the neighbor.

"People who got blipped are appearing all over," The neighbor rushed out, "I just got a call from my mom!" 

Thomas's first thought was Joan and Talyn. He needed to get to them.

Thomas immediately began to pull off the costume for Remus, not bothering with the makeup or the pants before rushing out to his car.

_He needed to see them._

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_

It was silent when he woke up. 

He sat up, looking around. The recording room was covered in a thick layer of dust, and the sun shone brightly through the blinds.

The memories flooded back to Seàn's brain and he gasped, scrambling to his feet.

His vision swam as he stumbled around. Seàn found his phone resting on the computer, next to the mouse. He clicked the power button- nothing.

He tried to turn his computer on.

Nothing.

Seàn's chest tightened as he backed away from the computer. He slammed into something and reached down. Doorknob.

He slammed the door open, stumbling into the hallway. He was trembling, and his stomach was churning.

Seàn managed to get to the front door just as there was a frantic knocking. Seàn opened it, seeing someone in a police uniform.

"Brighton police, are you okay, sir?" The officer asked, dropping the stoic demeanor quickly.

"W-What happened? What did I miss?" Seàn whimpered out.

"Sir, it's been 5 years. Do you have someone we can contact to help you?"

Seàn's mind blanked. 

"Uh... Dan-Daniel Howell," Seàn managed out. He gripped the doorway, his chest seemingly spasming.

"Do you know his phone number? Or his address?"

Seàn nodded, "I- I need to go there now."

"Will he help you calm down?"

Seàn nodded, and the two were off to Dan's apartment.

_It had been 5 years._


	12. Coming Back

The ride to Dan and Phil's place was chaotic at best. Seán could barely think over the sound of the car's sirens. It was less than a minute away at the rate they were speeding, but Seán kept a tight grip on the door and what his American friends had dubbed the "Oh shit handle".

The car came to a screeching halt as the radio sparked to life "_C__ode 666 has been enacted. Care for emergency situations as you see fit. Call for back up if needed. Do not take insurance-_." Seán didn't listen to the rest as he hastily thanked the officer. He climbed out of the car, running upstairs.

He could hear cries of confusion as he ran up the stairs. Seán's lungs stung as he took in sharp breaths, finally coming out on the third floor. _Which door?_ He noticed one that looked familiar and banged on it, tears spilling onto his cheeks.

The door swung open, revealing Dan. "Seán! What's wrong?"

Seán's mouth must have looked like a gasping fish as Dan pulled him inside. Phil was on the couch, head in his hands.

"Seán, c'mon. Take a deep breath for me," Dan said, gripping onto Seán's arms.

Seán tried. He really did. His head felt so... Weird. He felt his knees give out, exhaustion finally setting in. Dan held his arms, trying to slow the fall. Seán could feel his knees sting as he tried desperately to breathe, to _think._

His mind kept wandering back to that place he had been. There were so many people there, including Phil. _Did Phil remember?_ He couldn't believe it had been 5 years. _Was Gabi okay?_

Seán felt something press against into his arms, something wet hitting his face. Seán blinked, seeing a dog. He let out a shaking breath, sinking his fingers into the dog's long fur. _When did Dan get a dog?_ The dog set it's head on Seán's shoulder, as if it was hugging him.

It took a few minutes, but Seán was eventually able to pull away, wiping at his eyes. Dan was on the floor in front of him, holding onto Phil.

Seán's eyes met Phil's, "Phil...?"

Phil sniffed, rubbing his cheeks, "Yeah?"

"Do you remember where we were?" Seán's voice cracked a little.

Phil nodded, "Yeah. Oh my goodness." Phil laughed a little.

Dan smiled, "You two don't look any older than when you left."

Seán felt his heart speed up again, "It was only a few seconds for us."

Dan nodded, standing. He took Phil's hand, pulled him up, and the two of them helped Seán up. Now that he was closer, Seán could see that Dan's face had become more defined. He was a little muscular too. And... _Is his hair purple?_

"How old are you now?" Seán asked.

"32," Dan admitted.

Phil's jaw dropped, "You're older than I was..."

Dan laughed, "There's a lot that's happened. I'll help you two catch up."  
  


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Mark nearly got into three accidents on his way to Matt's old house.

As soon as he had gotten the call from Ethan he knew he needed to go look. He trusted Ethan to get Amy home safe. But Matt had moved last year to the East Coast. He would have wanted Matt to do this for him.

While he was driving he pulled up Matt's phone number. It rang for a few seconds, and then Matt picked up.

"_Hey man, what's up?_"

Mark grinned, "I've got a very late birthday present for Ollie."

"_You hear that Ollie? Uncle Mark has a present for you!_" Matt said, "_What is it?_"

"Blipped people are coming back," Mark spilled.

"_Stephanie,_" Matt whispered.

"I'm on my way to your old place right now. I'm gonna hang up, but keep your phone close by," Mark demanded. "And pack your shit. Stephanie is going to want to see you."

"_Got it. Thank you, Mark_," Matt said.

"Of course, man. I'll call if I get her," Mark said, hanging up the phone. He swerved around a woman who appeared in the middle of the road, narrowly avoiding another car. He was almost there.

Mark barely remembered to put his car into park before he sprinted up the house. It hadn't been sold since Matt moved out, so if Stephanie was in there she would be alone.

Mark's heart pounded in his chest as he banged on the door. After no response, Mark took banged again.

The door flew open, and he heard a scream from inside. Mark winced, rushing in, "Stephanie?"

"Mark?" He heard. Mark rushed in, seeing Stephanie run out of the hall. He felt himself grin as he ran forward and hugged her.

"Mark, where is Matt? Where is _Ollie_?" Mark could hear the hysteria grow in her voice.

"Matt and Ollie are okay. They're on the East Coast, they moved last year," Mark explained.

"Last year? I've only been gone for a few seconds," Stephanie said.

Mark grabbed her hand, "I'll explain after we call Matt. Let's get back to my house, okay?" Mark tried to make his voice sound calm, and after a moment Stephanie nodded. Mark pulled his phone out, dialing Matt again.

"Hey man, I accidentally knocked your door down. I've got Stephanie though," Mark said.

"_Steph? Babe are you okay?_" Matt asked frantically.

"Yeah, what happened?" Stephanie asked, taking Mark's phone as the two climbed into the car.

"_It's been 5 years. You turned into dust and left me with Ollie_."

Stephanie gasped, "Jeez..."

"_Mark's gonna take you back to his place until I can get back there with Ollie,_" Matt said.

As if he heard his name, Ollie yelled from the background, "_Pew Pew! Dad come play with me!_"

Mark glanced over, and saw a tear trail its way down Stephanie's cheek, "Is that him?"

"_Yeah. Do you want to talk to him?_" Matt asked.

"Yeah," Stephanie mumbled, wiping away her tears.

"_Ollie! I'll play with you if you come talk to Mommy,_" Matt called.

"_Mommy?_" The call was a little ways off, "_I get to talk to Momma?_"

"_Yeah. Say hi, bud_," Matt said.

"_Hi, Mommy!_" Ollie said happily.

Stephanie laughed as Mark drove around, "Hey Ollie. I can't wait to meet you."

"_I get to see you too?_" Ollie shouted, "_This is the best day ever! Dad are we still going to go get dinner?_"

"_We'll order pizza and get McDonald's on the way to Mom. How's that sound?_" Matt said.

Mark looked over again to see a grin seemingly etched permanently into Stephanie's face. She continued to talk to them as Mark drove, hanging up once he pulled into the driveway.

"Thank you, Mark," Stephanie said.

"Of course. Come on in, I'll catch you and Amy up," Mark said.


	13. Welcome Home

Ethan had barely parked when Amy threw her door open.

"What the _hell_ do you mean it's been 5 years?!" Amy yelled, attempting to go into the house.

"Amy, I need you to calm down," Ethan said- his own heart rate spiking. The keys jingled in his hands as he approached the door. Amy paced on the porch, muttering to herself.

"Amy, Mark will be here soon. I need you to calm down, _please,_" Ethan begged, opening the door. 

Amy stopped pacing, took a deep breath, and sighed. Ethan wordlessly wrapped an arm around her, leading her into the house. Ethan could hear a yipping from further in the house, as well as a couple of barks. There were multiple dogs?

_Chica!_

Ethan's jaw dropped as he closed the door. He took off running, sliding into Mark's bedroom. There on the bed sat Chica and Henry, both barking happily. Ethan ran forward, laughing slightly. Chica jumped into his arms, licking his face.

"Hey Chica, Mark'll be home soon. Promise," Ethan explained. He stepped out of the bedroom, watching as Amy looked around curiously.

"We've remodeled a bit," Ethan said, rubbing Chica's head. 

Amy nodded, "I can see. Where are you sleeping?"

"The old office. Mark and I both use the living room to record," Ethan explained, pointing.

"What about acoustics?" Amy asked.

"Carpet," Ethan smiled.

Amy looked down, "I hadn't even noticed."

The door burst open, revealing Mark and Stephanie. Ethan watched as Mark's face lit up. The couple met in the middle, arms wrapped around each other.

"Oh my god, I thought I'd never see you again," Mark gushed, holding Amy's hair. 

"I was so worried," Amy mumbled into the man's chest.

The couple pulled away and laughed a little. Ethan smiled, watching as the two kissed for the first time in half a decade.

"Stephanie, do you want anything to eat?" Ethan asked, looking at the woman.

Stephanie looked at him and nodded, "Yeah, let's give them a little bit of private time."

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Thomas tried not to speed, but he couldn't help it. Cops wouldn't pull him over right now anyway. There were countless crashes he was trying to navigate, but many drivers had been told to stay off the roads unless it was an emergency.

This was an emergency.

Thomas weaved between a car that was skidding and a rail. His heart rammed against his ribs, and his vision pulsated to the rhythm of it. The radio played the sounds of the DJs freaking out, giving the news as quickly as they could.

Thomas' tires screamed as he turned into the apartment complex Joan and Talyn lived in. They had just moved in together. Thomas only hoped that no one else had moved in since the Blip.

He was just about to arrive when he saw a familiar couple walking down the sidewalk. Thomas slammed on the breaks, parking the car right there and getting out.

"Joan? Talyn?" Thomas called.

The couple turned, and Thomas could feel his mouth stretch into a grin. He noticed their looks were ones of confusion, and it hit him- he was still in Remus' makeup!

Thomas reached up and ripped the mustache off, "Don't worry, it's fake."

Joan's face melted into one of relief and they ran forward. Thomas met them in the middle, hugging them hard. Thomas felt tears stinging his eyes as Talyn joined in. 

"Oh my god I missed you guys so much," Thomas said.

"What happened?" Joan asked, "There were people in our apartment!"

Thomas sighed, "It's been 5 years. Half of the population died, and now you're back."

"Oh my gosh I bet the economy has been amazing," Joan said sarcastically.

Thomas laughed, "Actually yeah. C'mon, I'll bring you back to my apartment. I've got your stuff there."

Thomas led the couple to the car, letting them get in wherever. Talyn got in the back, and Joan sat in the front with him. Thomas took off, warning them about the destruction he had to get through to get to them.

"Shouldn't we help?" Talyn asked.

"_If there has been an accident and you cannot help, police are encouraging you to move on right now. They are sending everyone they can out. If you are first aid or CPR certified, please stop and help!_" The radio DJ announced.

"Well, that answered that," Joan mumbled.

Thomas smiled. _They're both really back. They're back. _Thomas still couldn't believe it, even as Joan pointed out the sign they always passed that said balls on it. Thomas laughed. 

It was silent for a few minutes as Thomas drove. When he finally couldn't take it anymore, he spoke up, "Do you remember anything after you blipped? Or was it just black?"

"Blipped?" Talyn asked.

"That's what we call what happened to everyone. It looked like dust apparently," Thomas explained.

Joan sighed, "We were thrown into this expanse. It was a bright orange, and there were a ton of people. Talyn was right next to me. We were only there for a few hours, maybe." 

"I can promise you, it has not been a few hours," Thomas said, looking over at Joan.

"I know," They said. "What's happened since we left?"

"I got a sugar glider, and Sanders Sides collided with Markiplier's Egos," Thomas said. "Those are the big ones. Uhm... Steven Universe ended."

"Nooooo!" Talyn groaned.

"Yup. Saddest shit ever," Thomas said.

"Oh my god don't spoil it," Joan said.

"Percy Jackson finally got a Disney series, which was on Disney+. That launched while you guys were gone too," Thomas said. "Just a few months after, actually."

Joan grinned, propping their feet on the dashboard. Thomas didn't bother correcting them.

They were back a few minutes later. Thomas practically dragged them out of the car, pulling them into the house.

The couple got swarmed with hugs from everyone there. There may have been a few tears shed.

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Peter watched as Tony absorbed the stones into his suit. _He was going to die._

He couldn't hear what was going on. His back ached so badly, and so did his head.

He pushed on anyway and watched as his mentor brought his own fingers together.

_Snap._


	14. Powerful

Phil needed a few minutes to register what happened when Dan grabbed him from the kitchen. His boyfriend now had a bit of a beard? Did he shave his head? He'd only been gone for a couple of minutes, what happened?

The anxiety wasn't helped when Seán came bursting into the door. According to him, it had only been a couple of seconds.

The trio now sat on the floor in the living room. Dan held onto Phil as if he would disappear again, and Seán ran a hand through Freddie's fur occasionally. No one said anything for a while.

"What did I miss?" Phil asked quietly.

"I moved in with Tyler for a few years after the Blip, he got married after I moved out, uh..." Dan ran a hand through his hair, biting his lip. "I came out last year during Pride month..."

Phil raised an eyebrow, "Did you tell them about us?"

Dan nodded, "A lot of people were happy. I even managed to find that clip you recorded and posted it to your channel."

Phil laughed, "What else?"

Dan pulled Phil closer, resting his head on Phil's chest, "Mark and Thomas collaborated."

"Fuckin' finally," Seán mumbled from his spot. 

Dan laughed, and Phil couldn't help but watch as he continued to talk to Seán. He had grown so much, when did he start laughing openly like that?

It was cut off a moment later when Seán looked out the window. "Uh, what the hell?"

The trio stood and walked to the window. A ripple of energy cascaded over the city, approaching their building very fast. As it grew closer, Phil registered that people were _screaming _outside.

"Oh fuck-," Seán managed to get out just as the ripple reached them.

When the ripple touched Phil, he fell over in pain. It laced his entire body, and he suddenly understood why the people were screaming. He cried out, gripping his head. Everything hurt _so much_. 

Dan laid next to him, curled up. Through the pain, Phil crawled over, rolling him over. Dan's eyes were screwed shut, and his jaw clenched. Phil hugged him, hoping the pain would end soon.

It didn't take long, but when paramedics started running into buildings they found the trio passed out. Dan and Phil's arms were littered in burns, and Seán had still been curled up, clutching his head in one hand and his stomach in the other. They were lucky to be alive.

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Ethan and Stephanie were sipping on sodas when Mark and Amy joined them. The couple hardly left each others' arms as they all talked, catching the women up. The only time Mark even let go of Amy was when Chica came running down the stairs.

Amy and Stephanie were left gaping when Mark and Ethan finished their recounting. Ethan helped Stephanie sit on a bar stool, talking quietly with her.

"Is Ollie okay though? And what about Matt?" Stephanie kept asking.

Ethan sighed a little, "We've video called Matt at least once every week since they moved. They're okay."

"Was he depressed?" Stephanie asked.

Mark spoke up, "He lived here for a few months with me. He did get fairly depressed, but nothing ever happened."

Stephanie nodded, finally happy with the answer. Ethan rubbed her back as Mark and Amy talked quietly. Amy kept her arms around Mark's waist, and he kept running his hands through her hair. 

Ethan smiled a bit, watching as his phone lit up with texts from friends and family. He called his mom for a moment, telling her that he was okay. As soon as he hung up though, he heard something crash in the living room. 

Mark detached himself from Amy as Ethan stepped foot into the living room. He barely had time to register the wave before it hit him.

The first- and only- thing Ethan could think to do was scream. His chest _hurt_, and the younger adult collapsed onto the ground. Knives stabbed into his chest and dragged away into his limbs. It stabbed and tingled at the same time- like he had been hit by lightning.

He could barely see Mark run in before Mark also collapsed. Amy and Stephanie followed quickly, and upon seeing both men screaming in pain they got to work trying to help. They couldn't do much, seeing as both passed out within a couple of minutes.

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By the time they arrived home from Joan and Talyn's old apartment, Thomas _really _needed to pee. So, as Joan and Talyn were being passed around for hugs Thomas excused himself upstairs.

He decided to wipe his make up off as well, standing in the mirror for a moment when he heard something crash in his bedroom.

Thomas opened the door, peeking out just in time for a wave to hit him in the face.

Thomas slammed into the counter, falling over and hitting his head on the corner. He passed out before he hit the ground.

Joan and Talyn led the pack to go check on him. All they saw were burn marks wrapping around his forearms, and blood dripping down his forehead from where he hit it.

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Ollie played with his stuffed bear as his dad packed their things. He said they were going on a really big trip across the country, which seemed really fun! Ollie continued to talk to Beary as he threw his crayons into his backpack.

As Ollie threw one of his coloring books into the backpack, he heard his dad start screaming. Ollie dropped everything, running to his dad's voice.

Dad laid on the ground in the bathroom, clutching his head and groaning. Ollie ran over, shaking his dad's arm. "Daddy?"

"Remember who to c-call during scary times?" Dad managed to gasp out. 

"911!" Ollie said, puffing his chest out.

Dad laughed a little, then groaned, "Call them."

Ollie nodded, grabbing Dad's phone. He pressed the button, watching as Dad's eyes rolled into his head and he stopped moving.


	15. New Friends

"_Let him rest, he needs it._"

"_He needs to wake up. We have so much we have to catch up on._"

"_Guys, you're not helping!_"

Seán pried his eyes open, looking around. When did he get moved into a hospital? Why did his head hurt so much?

As Seán tried to get a grasp on his surroundings, a man appeared in a chair next to his bed. He had on a flat-bill, jeans, and a t-shirt. Seán blinked in surprise when the man looked up at him.

"Chase?"

Chase breathed out, "Hey."

"What the fuck-?" Seán whispered.

Another man appeared, standing at the end of the hospital bed. Seán watched as his head glitched around, blood dripping down his neck. 

How in the fresh hell were Chase and Anti standing in the room with him. They were just _characters_, right? They couldn't be here.

"Oh, we're definitely here," Anti said. "And we're never leaving."

Seán's heart dropped, and he sat up. Chase reached out, grabbing his arm, "It's okay though. We're not going to hurt you, and we can't hurt anyone else it looks like."

Seán looked at his arm in horror, _how can I feel him?_

"How many times do I gotta fuckin' tell ya?" Anti growled, rolling his head.

"_Anti,_" Chase said, pointedly looking at the demon.

Seán inhaled quickly, curling in close to himself. The IV in his elbow pressed further in, and the heart rate monitor spiked.

"Seán I need you to calm down," Chase pleaded. Anti began to glitch harder, laughing as the chaos grew.

The door burst open, revealing a doctor and a nurse. They rushed over to Seán, soothing him. The YouTuber looked around frantically, noticing that Chase and Anti had disappeared.

"What the fuck-?"

"Mr. McLoughlin, we need you to relax," The doctor said.

Seán inhaled quickly, head lolling. The doctor had to catch him as he collapsed backward.

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When Seán woke up later, he saw a man sitting in that same chair from earlier. He sucked in a breath of air, watching as Felix lifted his head up.

"Felix-," Seán said.

Felix grinned, "Hey man. You feeling okay?"

Seán nodded, "Where are Dan and Phil?"

"Recovering at home. The hospital got a bunch of new patients apparently."

Seán sat up a little straighter, "Were you and Marzia affected?"

Felix shook his head, running his hand through his hair, "We didn't realize it happened until the hospital called us."

Seán laid back, trying to assess the situation. His elbow hurt, and so did his head and stomach. Seán groaned in pain, leaning back onto the bed. 

"I've got to be honest, I missed you man," Felix said quietly.

Seán nodded sadly, "You and Marzia ever get married?"

"We're celebrating four years in a couple of months," Felix said, smiling.

"That's amazing," Seán said. His chest ached as he listened to Felix catch him up on his version of the events. He couldn't help his mind drifting back to earlier though, _what happened?_

"_We're still here,_" Seán heard. His breath hitched.

"-You okay?" Felix asked.

"Yeah, just in a little pain." 

Felix nodded, "Oh, the doctor said you should be fine once you woke up. We just have to wait on him to let you out." 

Seán nodded, watching as Felix stood. "Where are you going?"

"I gotta go grab your doc really quick. I'll be right back," Felix pat Seán's leg, then walked out.

As soon as Felix left, Chase appeared in the chair again. 

"Chase, what the hell is going on?" Seán whispered, taking a deep breath. His heartrate spiked again, and he shut his eyes.

"I have no idea Seán," Chase whispered.

Seán sat in silence with the father. It took a moment, but soon Felix returned with the doctor. It only took a few minutes for Seán to get discharged. As soon as he left the room, he felt someone grab onto his hand.

Seán looked down quickly, watching as a kid- no older than 6- followed behind the small group. He held a Sam plushie close to his chest, and walked quickly (Seán assumed to keep up). 

Seán looked at Felix, "Who's the kid?"

Felix looked down, then his eyebrows creased. "What kid?"

Seán could feel the blood rush away from his face, "You don't see the kid holding onto my hand right now?"

Felix shook his head, an eyebrow raised. "Let's just get you home to rest."

Seán nodded, watching the child with wide eyes.

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By the time they arrived back at Felix's house, Seán felt like he could puke. No amount of eye rubbing or furious blinking would get the kid to go away. 

Felix helped Seán walk inside, noting something about how Marzia would be cooking dinner by now. Seán tried his best to listen, but his mind couldn't leave the events of today.

"I'm going to go help Marzia in the kitchen, just let me know if you need anything, okay?" Felix said as he showed Seán his room.

Seán nodded, moving to go sit on the bed. Felix pursed his lips, but said nothing as he left.

Seán's head still ached profusely. He simply laid back on the bed, hoping the bed would take him.

How could Seán see the characters he created in real life? Why could he _feel _them? These thoughts and more plagued his mind as sleep finally took him.


	16. Reunion

Matt's heart raced as he made the last turn. Ollie slept peacefully in the backseat, a toy in his hand and a movie playing quietly. Matt could already see Mark's house coming, with an extra car in the driveway.

He still had no idea what happened after Mark called. The ripple that passed through the house caused him so much pain. But the doctor said he was fine, that nothing had happened. They were full after the events from the Return and the subsequent wave that no one else seemed to have seen but him. Matt would have to ask Mark when he gets there.

Matt pulled into the driveway, and noticed immediately that Stephanie stood on the porch with... was that Ethan? Matt's heart slammed in his chest as he tries his best to calm his shaking hands. He parked behind Mark's car, putting the car into park. He needed to get Ollie out, and wake him up-.

Matt stepped out of the car, looking at Stephanie.

_Fuck it._

Matt rushed forward, meeting Stephanie in the middle of the yard. Her body warmed his up, and despite knowing that she was there- Matt's body still trembled. They embraced quickly, falling naturally into their hug. It was almost like nothing ha

"Oh my god I missed you so much," Matt said, a lump forming in his throat.

Stephanie didn't say anything, just sobbed. Matt cradled her head, talking quietly in her ear. He did this to Ollie all the time when he cried- he just guessed Dad-Instinct kicked in. Hearing Stephanie cry made the tears in Matt's eyes roll. He buried his face in her hair, realizing suddenly just how much he missed her smell. 

Stephanie's arms moved, wrapping around his waist. Matt pulled away briefly, looking into her eyes. They welled over with tears of her own, red and puffy. 

She was beautiful.

Matt slowly leaned in, kissing her. The salt of their tears mixed in with the kiss, but who cared? Certainly not Matt. 

If the sky didn't look like it would open up, they would have stayed like that. Matt pulled away though, running his hand through her hair.

"Hi," Matt said, unable to stop himself from smiling.

"Hey," Stephanie also wore a smile on her face. She looked away for a moment, wiping the snot from her nose. "Oh my god, I got snot all over your shirt!"

"Steph, it's fine," Matt laughed. He laced his hands in hers, not wanting to move.

"I hate to interrupt the beautiful moment," Ethan spoke up, "But it's illegal to leave Ollie in the car."

Matt watched Stephanie's grin falter. He gripped her hands, "It's alright. C'mon, I'll let you grab him."

Matt turned, walking towards the car. From what he could see, Ollie still slept peacefully in his seat. Matt opened up the door, turning to Stephanie.

"Do you wanna grab him?" Matt's voice naturally fell into a whisper. 

Stephanie had paled considerably. She stared at Ollie, chest rising and falling quickly. Matt gently took her hand, leading her to Ollie's buckles. He did most of the work, keeping an eye on his wife.

It felt so nice to have her back, to be helping her. Ollie stirred, and she gasped.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. He won't bite," Matt smiled a little at her. "Just grab him under his arms. He's just like any other toddler."

"Just... ours," Stephanie whispered. She took a deep breath, shaking herself a little. Matt recognized it as her hyping herself up. Matt smiled, watching as she leaned in.

"Oof, he's heavy," Steph mumbled, adjusting him against her side. He stirred once again, mumbling something about McDonald's.

"There ya go," Matt looked over her, holding their son. His heart fluttered- like when they first dated. He leaned in quickly, stealing a kiss. His hands cupped her face. 

"Let me grab our bags and we can head inside," Matt said softly, resting his forehead against hers. She nodded, stepping away. Matt closed the car door, moving to the trunk. He popped it open, grabbing the two bags he had packed. He slammed the trunk shut, watching Stephanie look at Ollie worriedly. Matt laughed, "He's slept through the fire alarms before, that should be fine."

Stephanie looked at him wildly, "Really?"

"Yup," Matt walked with Stephanie onto the porch. "He gets it from you."

Stephanie laughed, adjusting Ollie again. His toy dropped out of his hand. Matt went to grab it, but Stephanie dropped into a crouch and grabbed it. She stood like nothing had happened.

"Since when do you have that good of a balance?" Matt joked, thanking Ethan briefly as he held the door open for the family.

"Since always?" Stephanie laughed.

"Matt! Hey man!" Mark walked out of the kitchen.

"Hey man!" Matt walked forward, hugging Mark. 

"Let me show you your room," Mark wrapped an arm around Matt, leading him away.

It didn't go over Matt's head that Stephanie didn't follow. Matt looked at Mark, analyzing his shaking hands.

"Is everything okay?" Matt asked as they stepped into Matt's old room.

"Did you see that wave? Just after I called you?" Mark asked, turning to Matt.

Matt gently set the bags down on the bed, "Yeah. It hurt so much." He shuddered just thinking about it.

Mark cleared his throat, "There's a theory going around that, uh, some of the people who were hurt ended up getting powers from it."

"Is there any support?" Matt asked.

Mark grumbled, "Ethan freaking shorted out the entire house by touching the couch."

"_Sesang-e_," Matt mumbled, then froze.

Mark looked up at him, "Did... did you just speak in Korean?"

"I... guess?" The realization set in, "_Gaejasig!_"

Mark burst out laughing, "I'm sure there's someone we can get into contact with."

Matt nodded, walking with Mark back into the living room. Stephanie sat awkwardly on the couch, letting Ollie rest on her chest. As soon as the men walked in, Ollie stirred, looking at Stephanie.

"Momma?" He mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

Stephanie let out a little breath, "Yeah, momma."

Ollie remained quiet for a moment, "You smell nice."

Matt laughed loudly. Upon hearing the noise, Ollie turned. "Hi, dad! Uncle Mark!" Ollie jumped off Stephanie's lap, running to the fellow YouTuber.

"Hey, bud!" Mark stooped down, picking Ollie up and throwing him in the air. Matt walked to Stephanie, sitting on the couch and wrapping an arm around her as Ollie's laughter rung through the room.

Matt kissed the side of Stephanie's head, letting her lean on him.


	17. Dawn

Dan knew that he had already come out, but the rest of the world deserved to know about Phil too. At least, that's what Phil had told him last night when they were laying in bed. 

Dan ran a hand through his hair, staring at the camera. Truth be told, he had gone on a bit of a hiatus after the Blip. A five-year hiatus. This would be his first video since the entire thing had happened, excluding the explanation and original coming out videos. Nevertheless, Dan knew that this fear hadn't plagued his system in years.

He sat on the desk chair listening to Phil clatter around in the kitchen. Truth be told, it didn't really feel like Phil had actually come back. One of Dan's most repetitive thoughts as of late included the idea that he would wake up and Phil would be gone again.

Phil rushed into the room with two cups- one smelling of coffee and the other he assumed to be tea. "Dan! I read on Twitter that some people thought that they had spent fifty years gone and some people don't even remember being in there!" Phil excitedly put Dan's cup down in front of him, pulling out his phone. "Wanna see?"

"I'm alright," Dan's voice ached a bit, but he knew that seeing tweets about what had happened would only worsen the anxiety he already felt. 

Phil raised an eyebrow, "You've gotten bolder."

Dan nodded, "I had to learn to say no." Dan thought to the time he had to tell another guy no and shuddered. He did _not _want to think about that.

"Let's get recording, yeah?" Phil said, leaning forward to the camera. 

Dan smiled as Phil pressed the record button. The mask slid easily over Dan's face- almost as if he hadn't actually taken five years off. Phil laid back in the chair, neatly falling into place on Dan's left.

"I'm not even going to do any of that frilly shit, Phil is back!" Dan shouted excitedly. Dan nearly bounced in his seat but refrained. Can't have the fans thinking he's on drugs or some shit.

"Yeah, I'm back and kicking!" Phil laughed, which brought laughter out of Dan's throat. 

"God, I missed this," Dan casually wrapped an arm around Phil, smiling as Phil leaned on him for the briefest moment, before perking right back up and continuing on about what the soul realm was like. Dan couldn't help his staring at Phil. The way he moved around and blabbered on and on about what had happened blew Dan away. 

Phil turned suddenly, snapping Dan out of his thoughts, "What about you, Dan? What have you gotten up to in the last five years?"

Dan laughed, sitting up. He and Phil had gone over what had happened, but Dan knew that Phil was asking for the fans. Dan cleared his throat and began to speak, partially hoping that nothing embarrassing would come out.

Before recording, Phil had asked Dan if they could just post the video unedited. That way they had a bit more time to hang out. Dan agreed wholeheartedly, he wanted as much time as possible with Phil.

"Well, as you can see, I moved into a new place. I was in the process of moving when the blip, well, unblipped, but we finalized it today!" Dan grinned as he continued on. "I got Freddie (who is currently sleeping on my bed)," Dan and Phil simultaneously rolled to the side, showing a sleeping Freddie. "Ooh, that was good Phil."

"Yeah, I just want to point out we _didn't _plan that," Phil laughed again, gripping Dan's hand.

"I swear, we have telepathy with each other," Dan's own laughter continued to carry the couple on through the recording of the video.

About fifteen minutes later, Phil finally hit the record button again, ending it. Dan let out a sigh of relief, sighing. He covered his face, just trying to breathe.

"Dan, your powers are showing again," Phil commented quietly. "Is everything okay?"

Dan looked up, noticing how the shadows under the desk had started moving again. He shook his hands, and the shadows snapped back into place.

"Yeah, just anxious," Dan grumbled.

Phil nodded, resting a hand on Dan's leg.

Dan's powers had shown up a couple of days ago, just after everyone had come back. Phil had to nearly tie him down to get the shadows to stop moving. Dan had no control over them at all, and so the house had been trashed. Whenever Dan grabbed a shadow, the object it belonged to moved. 

Dan didn't like it.

"Just take some deep breaths, yeah?" Phil looked at him.

Dan nodded, doing as Phil asked. Soon, his heart beat at a relatively normal pace. Dan shut his eyes, just trying to continue to breathe. After a moment, his leg started to burn.

Dan hissed, pulling away. Phil stared at a spot on the floor, and Dan glanced at the hand that had just been on his thigh. Bright white light emanated from Phil's palm, almost like Dan's hands did when he was controlling the shadows.

"Phil!" Dan shouted. Phil blinked and then hissed. He looked down at his own hands with wide eyes.

"How can we get in touch with S.H.I.E.L.D?"

**Author's Note:**

> As someone who has anxiety, I know the feeling of finding a book but it being a little too... dramatic? I think that's the word. Anyway, if you feel like you can no longer read this book, feel free to message me, and I'll give you as much (or as little) spoilers as you want!


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